Vitor Belfort Suspended for Nine Months

We’ve been following the sad and sordid fall of Vitor Belfort, a former UFC champion who’s done nothing lately to earn his nickname “The Phenom,” for the past couple months.

Back in November, I reported that Belfort tested positive for anabolic steroids following PRIDE Fighting ChampionshipÃ¢â?¬â?¢s Oct. 21 event in Las Vegas, and then just earlier this month, he was a no-show for his scheduled hearing via teleconference with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to plead his case.

MMAWeekly.com is now reporting that Belfort and fellow PRIDE fighter Pawel Nastula have both been suspended for nine months. According to MMAWeekly.com’s Ivan Trembow:

In addition to the nine-month suspensions, each fighter was fined approximately one-third of their fight purses, which worked out to a $10,000 fine for Belfort and $6,500 for Nastula… Belfort tested positive for 4-hydroxytestosterone, which is also legally defined as an anabolic steroid and banned in Major League Baseball and other sports.

Belfort, a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, lost to Dan Henderson by unanimous decision on the Pride card.

The bout was BelfortÃ¢â?¬â?¢s third fight in PRIDE since he left UFC following a split-decision loss to Tito Ortiz at UFC 51. That loss to Ortiz was BelfortÃ¢â?¬â?¢s third defeat in his last five UFC matches, and heÃ¢â?¬â?¢s since lost three of his five fights outside the UFC.

A post-fight urine test at the Oct. 21 PRIDE event revealed traces of 4-hydroxytestosterone, an anabolic steroid, in Belfort’s system. Two other fighters from the event (UFC veteran Kevin Randleman and Nastula) also failed their tests.

This is the letter that Belfort originally sent to the commission after his failed test:

In regard of the disciplinary complaint against myself about having violated section 467.850 of the Commission Regulations, all I have to say is that I bought a supplement called ‘Max Tribostak’ at Max Muscle in La Habra, California, which contains 4-Hydroxytestosterone. I had no idea that a supplement bought over the counter at a vitamin store would contain a substance that is illegal in the state of Nevada. This lack of knowledge is costing me a great deal, hurting my image throughout every newspaper in Brazil, which caused me to lose some of my sponsors, and most of all the risk of being suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. I hope you consider my letter before taking any formal disciplinary actions.

Sincerely,

Vitor Belfort

(UPDATE: Ivan has expanded on his original story at MMAWeekly.com. Check it out for detailed information about Belfort’s emotional plea to the commission.)

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

The man known for cranking submissions to the point of injury added eye-gouging to his repertoire. But is the controversy of Rousimar Palhares too essential to his bizarre, awful appeal for his employers to take any meaningful action against him?